The Theatre Review ~ The Wizard Of Oz

Rating: 5/5

Despite a seven foot man sitting directly in front of me I was swept away to Oz with this incredible cast. I can't believe how outstanding the Broadway Across Canada cast was in regard to what is going on in the West End. This was even more apparent when comparing the US and UK version of the Sound of Music Live productions.... but, we won't get into that!

The new music from Andrew Lloyd Webber fitted in seamlessly. The choreography and the sets were fantastic. However, the production was all about the cast from Nigel the dog, to the phenomenal Tin Man whose voice was just ... speechless and weak at the knees. 

Just a truly brilliant production - there is nothing else to say but a well deserved Standing Ovation!

Side Note ~ What is it with Winter Reading?

Question: What is it with Winter Reading?

Ok it takes me every effort when I get home from work to not throw on my PJs curl under a blanket and read. I don't know what it is about this season but I cannot stop consuming books at this time of year? It is like books become an extension of my arms!

Right now I should be writing Christmas cards, and wrapping presents. Applying for new jobs and wedding planning but instead I am snuggling with the cat feasting on a new book!

What do you think? 

What is it that makes this season so perfect for reading?

The Book Review ~ Longbourn

Rating: 5+/5

My head was buried in this book from the moment I picked it up! What a novel! Holy Crap! Who is Jo Baker? I want to meet her and kiss her for creating this novel!

The underside of Pride and Prejudice, as a P&P buff this book pulled me out of my comfort zone and made me look at the Bennet's in a completely new light. It made the sisters real. It made them touchable and dare I say... hateable. I really disliked Elizabeth Bennet. But the way Baker writes it does in a way that makes you step back and go... No I bet they were like this! 

Longbourn isn't just about the servants and how they interact with the upstairs but it is also a stand alone novel that tells the story of Sarah as she grows up and realise her place in the world. 

The ability Baker has to integrate Austen within her work is magnificent. 

Just a standing ovation from me! 

LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!

The Movie Review ~ Spectre

Rating: 5/5

I may be a bit biased as it was partially filmed down the road from us... whilst we were there... we actually heard the gunfire laying in bed at night...! However, you are gonna have to trust me when I say that this is truly a magnificent film and not just because of the amazing cast!

It has the action, the sex, the music, the Bond.... what more can I say. I really don't know what to say other than it is a Bond. And it is a Sam Mendes and Daniel Craig Bond... which makes it that much better! 

I did prefer Skyfall but Spectre with Christoph Waltz was a very close second! 

The Book Review ~ Blood and Beauty

Rating: 5/5

I am going to put myself out there and say that Sarah Dunant is a better historical fiction writer than Hilary Mantel. So shoot me! She is much easier to read, her characters are more believable and her writing pulls you in and doesn't let you go. 

This novel follows the story of the Borgia's. I have read a lot and watched a lot about the Borgia's but I have never been so sympathetic towards them until this book. She really just grabs you by the throat and forces you to look at them in a whole new light. They are first and foremost a family and that is really what Dunant gets across. It is amazing!

Dunant takes the history and makes in tangible. But the characters which are so well known are suddenly given new life by Dunant's words and amazing storytelling ability. 

Just a fantastic read from start to finish. 

Fictional Friends

For the last few days I have felt like utter crap on antibiotics with some bug. Not wanting to think or do anything. When I was sick at home I used to always watch movie after movie after movie. Now when I am sick it is back-to-back Jeremy Kyle. So these last few days I grabbed our Friends DVDs and the two Sex and the City Movies. 

It's funny how watching something that you have always loved but lost among the other crap going on in your life is like bringing yourself back from the dead. That's how I feel watching Carrie and Rachel. The two women I respected and grew up wanting to be and dress like... somehow it got lost... 

(That is except for when I picked out my wedding shoes which are completely Carrie Bradshaw approved!)

SO... I am once again snuggled on the sofa with my kitty, baked beans on toast watching the Sex and the City movie once again!

Icons are vital for a person. It is something to focus on when everything else falls apart. Something to strive towards and aim for. I had forgotten that. It's good to get some 'me' time and refocus on ambition and dreams... and wardrobe goals!!

Yeah for Sex and the City! Thank you for helping me get better! 

It's also nice to re-watch SATC when you know you now have your very own Mr. Big... 

A New Product Obsession

So I have had a Keels Simple Diary in my desk for quite a while now and I write in it sporadically. However, after reading quite a few blogs about making the most of life... turning things around... etc etc I routed around in my 'messy' drawer and found it again. 

The concept of the diary is fantastic. It's not the teenage blank page to blabber in. Instead it really makes you think about the day choosing a description for the day and giving you an exercise to complete. 

It is great! Really helps to level your mind and go to bed with a clear vision. 

Anyway there is my pitch over my new obsession. 

The Perfect Venue

On the plane home from Vancouver my future hubby bought me The Knot magazine. My heart must have dropped a million stories when I saw the checklist. Things you don't even think about are listed. Whoever said weddings were about the Bride and Groom were wrong! 
So far our planning has been a roller coaster. 

BUT, there is one thing that has kept me smiling and makes me feel  light as air when I think of it and that is the venue... We looked at many places online and visited a few but it was a drive through the Cotswolds with my brother-in-law that brought me face-to-face with my fairy tale. I was really worried about finding the location, everything depends on it and the places we visited were nice but nothing compared to this feeling. It gives you butterflies and bubbles in the tummy. Amazeballs!

Last week I had the joy of showing TidyBoy the location, and after a walk around the village, a peek in the church and the venue he turned to me as he opened the car door for me and said, 

"I don't like it... I love it!" Happiness! I was made up!

Down this very small one track road with a turning you hardly notice you drive a typical country road until you hit the most picturesque village in England. The first thing you see is a gorgeous french Riviera style manor. A little stream trickling around a country inn and the tiniest of churches nestled between them. Anyone in their right mind would picture the most romantic wedding there and I did. There was nothing like it. From finding that venue everything else just fell into place: the colour scheme, the theme, the centrepieces! It was everything my childhood self would have imagined for my wedding! 

No matter what other crap gets thrown in the lead up to the actual day I cannot wait to marry the man of my dreams, with my Mummy by my side and looking like a Princess in Purple Heels! 

Book Review ~ The Faces of Angels

Rating: 5/5

Lucretia Grindle is my one of my favourite authors and yet she is really under the radar. Her novels are fabulous. Her more latest books combine a modern narrative and historical narrative running simultaneously. Then I found her first two novels and although they are completely different from her new novels they are brilliant. 

This story takes her back to Florence where her novels really come alive! Her way of recreating the city and making it character in the book is unbelievable. 

This particular novel is about a woman who is brutally attacked and then witnesses the same attacker kill her husband. After burying him she returns to Florence to  study art history at a continuing education school when the murders begin again. With her nosey roommate, and constantly travelling lover the heroine becomes obsessed with the crimes and ends up coming face to face with the killer. 

Usually when I read crime novels I can guess who the murderer is about half way through and this time I thought I had as well but man I was WRONG! Way off target. That is what is so brilliant about Grindle the story seems to be heading in one direction and then she veers off in another. 

The book is brutally descriptive and can turn your stomach at times. Also don't read it at night... when you're alone! Other than that it is truly brilliant and a must read. If you have never read a Grindle novel you have to she is an unsung legend!

My Engagement Story

30th August 2015

We have just arrived back in the UK after an amazing holiday in Vancouver. As well as TidyBoy meeting all my friends I had the joy of watching the man I love fall in love with the city I love! Flying home yesterday was not so bad as we knew the next time we board a flight to Vancouver it would be with a one way ticket!

But, even that wasn't the height of our trip. What happened on the evening of 30th August was!

After attending the most gorgeously romantic wedding of two of the best people on this planet, and a dinner with my extended family (which saw TidyBoy become face-to-face with an Alaskan King Crab) we went for a walk along the waterfront. 

It was pouring with rain... and I mean pouring with rain. 

I took TidyBoy to the wrong waterfront (he wanted Coal Harbour and I took him to English Bay). 

Then...

At the Inukshuk TidyBoy asked me what it actually stood for and I am embarrassed to say I didn't know so I read him the plaque. 

Turning around I found TidyBoy down on one knee with a beautiful ring in his hands. 

"Cause I can't wait any longer for the perfect day and the perfect place. And I am sick of people telling me to do it and ruining the surprise. So I am doing it here and now. Hannah Ruth Hardy will you marry me"

It was the most romantic moment of my life. He made me the happiest girl in the world. 

TidyBoy is the other half of my soul and over the last three years he has captured my heart and I cannot wait to be his wife. 

Book Review ~ Mrs. de Winter

Rating: 3/5

I love Susan Hill. She is a master of her craft, and she really took a risky step by writing a sequel to one of the greatest classics in the English language. However, it really was pulled off! 

The middle section of the book is a little slow. The first person becomes oppressive and it holds the story back from progressing. The character of Mrs de Winter becomes nauseating and it is hard to stick with it. BUT, the minute they buy the new house the story becomes engrossing and you cannot put it down. 

The novel picks up the de Winter's abroad moments before the death of his sister back to England. However, the presence of Rebecca is soon captured with a wreath at the graveside. Although Mrs. de Winter realises that escape from the past is not possible she cannot help but be desperate to stay. They embark on a trip around the UK before returning abroad. What they find is heaven and what it leads to is Hell. 

I knew from the tone that I couldn't expect a classical happy ending however, the ending is a complete surprise a brilliant twist set up and pulled off with great skill. It broke my heart! 

This is a must read if you like Daphne Du Maurier's original, but bear with it as the beginning is slow. 

Book Review ~ A Place Called Winter

Rating : 4+/5

Patrick Gale is a real master of the craft of writing. He is truly amazing. The plot is absolutely flawless and heartbreaking. His descriptions and characters just take you there. You are alongside Harry the whole way and seeing his pain and his torment which is all made possible by Gale's writing. He is incredible, such a storyteller.

It is the story of Harry Gale who is hiding a secret about himself that when revealed could send him to jail and destroy his family. So he boards a boat and heads to Canada. Upon his journey he meets Troel's who will shape his future for better... and for worse. 

Troels is probably the nastiest character I have ever come across. He's constant appearances and what he does are so haunting you cannot help but be constantly on tender hooks worrying that he is going to appear and ruin everything that has just started to go right for Harry. 

The narrative is also brilliant. It is not flashbacks, but written from area to area in a sort of tracing back of the story. It keeps you turning the pages and is a brilliant way of keeping you guessing as to what exactly has happened to Harry Cane, as each part of the narrative reveals a little more of Harry's story until in the final section you realizes exactly what has happened to him. 

EXCELLENT!! 

The Book Review ~ Rich Bitch

Rating: 5/5

Make sure to engage your brain before picking up this book! It is really a fantastic read but you need to have your wits about you, and an open notebook at your side.

Nicole Lapin is a genius, what she writes about might be common sense but it makes so much sense. It explains so many problems that people I know have and makes me realise where NOT to go! 

Her advise is applicable to everyone at any station. You can use her set-up plans for each area of your life and apply them immediately no matter what your financial status or income. 

She has made me so eager to get going and start living and using my income wisely! AMAZING!

Thank you Nicole xxxx

The Book Review ~ The Little Stranger

Rating 4/5

This was another fantastic read. I cannot believe I have never read Sarah Waters before! She was right up my street with a gorgeous Gothic setting and fantastic characters. The writing is incredible with a great flow, although the chapters are a bit to long with little chance to break. 

Waters creates a fantastic plot where the reader can decide what is truly happening within the story whether the events are supernatural or psychological. It is an amazing thing to do. I still am undecided as to which side I am really on! Ghost or medical? 

It's the story of a Doctor who finds himself in tangled with the local eccentric family and their rather freaky house which is falling into decay. As each family member seems to loose their mind under his care strange things appear or happen causing doubt as to whether in his mind as to whether psychology is to blame or the houses Little Stranger. 

The creation of this little stranger was incredible. There was no doubt in your mind that there was something there. Everything was haunting to the point where a few BBC news updates which blared out my phone whilst I was reading caused me to leap a few feet in the air!

There was only one thing that really ruined the novel. It was the final section. Obviously Waters had a brilliant conclusion planned but getting from what seemed like the natural conclusion to the actual end there was a complete dip in the narrative. It dwindled and lost some of the thrill that is had held throughout the other 400 pages! 

My name is ThePoshGurl and I am a Cycling Addict

Next month I will do something I never though myself capable of doing... a SPORTING EVENT! I will be cycling 75 miles for Plan International (to sponsor me) at the Cotswolds Sportive in Cheltenham. For most people I know this will be a major shock. I come from Vancouver a sports capital but I was exactly the opposite when I lived there. I was unfit and lazy. In fact I was unfit and lazy until January this year when sick of the bus I began commuting in from my village to work in Oxford. A new bike and a selection of cycling clothes later and I have become a fully fledged Pedal Head. In the last few weeks I have kicked up training, (yes training) for the sportive and have been even leaving a full days work at the office and going out on a 30-40 mile bike ride home! 

So what has caused this huge change. TidyBoy will tell you it's my latest form of procrastination - I get into things to avoid doing what I should be doing - well that is true. BUT there is also something more. I won't get all romantic and talk about the empty roads, being at one with the countryside or the need for speed! Instead it is something that has taken me back to my childhood. I was a crazy horse girl as a kid and was riding everyday after school and all weekends. I would go as far as to wear my riding gear on non-school uniform days just to save time getting to the stables! In those days I used to ride my bike to the stables with a bridle in a backpack and a saddle on my handlebars! My favourite thing to do was to go hacking on my horse. I could go for hours and go anywhere. I would pack snacks and drinks in a backpack and be missing for hours. I think cycling has filled that void. Whenever I see a person hacking out I literally cannot feel anything but jealousy. However, riding a horse is expensive. So my metal framed friend is my substitute. Sure I can't turn it into a freshly cut field and gallop it, but the feelings of being out in the open air and being free are still the same. 

Yesterday TidyBoy led the route and it was quite literally a show of manliness! Up this hill and down this one and then up this one and still up this one and up another one... hill after hill after boring hill. There was no variation. No pretty villages to ride through. I got quite grumpy! Although TidyBoy was persistent in the fact this was "good training" I couldn't help but notice the difference in our passions. He does it for speed, and fitness. I do it for something completely different. Although I know the bike cannot hear me when I aimlessly chat to it, and it's not fluffy enough to cuddle the feeling is the same and I cannot wait to explore when I take my new passion back to the Canadian Mountains!

The Book Review ~ The Taxidermist's Daughter

Rating 5/5

I have read Kate Mosse before and her books never disappoint. Her book "The Winter Ghosts" I managed to read in a single sitting on a train to Cardiff. This book is a bit thicker but if I had had a day I think the same could have been done. It is an absolute thriller - the story completely consumes you and you cannot put it down. 

The book is chiefly a mystery - a girl is murdered, men go missing, but there is so much more. A mysterious second narrative crops up at the end of every section justifying these disappearances and gruesome murders. The protagonist has memory loss and as things remind her of what she witnessed as a child the crimes and criminal are revealed. 

The writing is truly Gothic with gorgeous bleak descriptions that make you physically shiver when you read them. The characters are fantastic with the nervous clerk, useless policeman and handsome young hero! 

I could really go on for hours about how brilliant this book is - it really is all encompassing. When I wasn't reading it I was trying to use the clues to figure out what was going on - and then the rest of the time I was reading it... nonstop! 

Clearly another triumph for Kate Mosse. 

Imagine That! Tuition ~ Let us begin!

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Book Review ~ Sacred Hearts

Rating: 4/5

I heard about this book from my Mother in-law who gave me her copy to read. It sort of fitted in perfectly as I had just started work on my own Renaissance Catholic based novel!  The number one thing about Dunant’s book is the characters which were captivating. You could not do anything other than love or hate them. It was an extreme either way!

The story is about a group of nuns in Ferrera, Italy. A young novice there against her will, a strict nun desperate for the ecstasy of seeing Jesus, an apothecary and the strong abbess eager for young dowries.  Everything revolves around the novice who is desperate to escape the monastery for the arms of her lover, and the relationship she forms with the dispensary nun.

The novel was long, and it could have been rounded up quite a few pages shorter as it did drag a little in the middle where nothing much was happening – it was all just leading up to the finale… only very, very slowly!

I love Dunant’s writing. There is a really gorgeous flow to it that captures everything perfect, and yet leaves a tiny bit missing which allows your imagination to fill. 

I cannot wait to read more of her stuff!

Movie Review ~ Jurassic World

Rating: 3+/5

I have been waiting for this movie for years. Watching the trailer was like going back to my childhood.  The plot sounded a bit sketchy but Chris Pratt was in it, and was buff, and sweaty, and riding a motorbike!

I went with TidyBoy … we may have been 30 minutes early and bouncing up and down in our seats! The reaction was “meh”! It didn’t live up to our expectations … but after careful consideration of the film we thought that perhaps the expectations were a bit too high!

Chris Pratt is amazing – not just looks wise but also acting. He could possibly be the next action hero! He is brilliant. But he also adds a comedic side to the franchise that has not really been done before.

The movie was trying to do what Skyfall did with the Bond franchise and poke fun at the ridiculous that had come before – that bit didn’t work. BUT, there was more good than bad. I would really have liked to have seen more of the park and its attractions; the rides with the typical ride operator, and the incredible Hilton Hotel. It was all set up so well but not really developed. Especially as they had the great hook with the two boys who were excellent – Missed Opportunity!

The product placement was fantastic – the village having a Ben & Jerry’s, Starbucks and of course a Pandora! It really did show exactly what we would do if a park like this existed!

The poor script was held up by the performances of Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Pratt (and the guy from Law & Order Criminal Intent!). The music was nothing like John Williams – it completely invaded the movie and put you off. The animation was of course flawless, and the hook for film 5 was also really clever.

All in all I did enjoy it… just not as much as I wanted too. 

However, that opinion might change when we go and see it in 3D!

FINITO!

FINALLY FINISHED! 

Vienna

After years and years of waiting Mum and I finally made it to Vienna! Sitting at the top of both of our bucket lists we were desperate to tick the box, and the city didn’t disappoint!

We had a tour of the riding stables, three hours watching the morning practice at the Vienna riding school (the purpose of the trip), and plenty of cakes!!!! The city knew we were coming and so made sure to keep the temperature up and the rain at bay.

Flying BA business class Mum and I were really in the lap of luxury!

Brilliant few days! Going back SOOOOOOOOON!

Movie Review ~ Far From the Madding Crowd

Rating: 5/5

This particular Hardy classic is one of my favourites and the movie too. So to have it redone was worrying for me! I didn’t really know the two lead heroes. Martin Sheen as Boldwood… I had doubts. But, since Bleak House and Persuasion I have loved Carey Mulligan so I took Mum along.  

Now I am counting down the days till the DVD is released. I have not stopped listening to the gorgeous Craig Armstrong soundtrack.

To say I was sceptical going to see this movie on it's opening day is an understatement. I was actually terrified. I wanted so badly for it to be good. 

Carey Mulligan had fearlessly thrown herself at Bathsheba and it paid off. She was mesmerizing. I think it was her best performance to date. She was just incredible. 

And Gabriel Oak!!! HELLO and where have you been all my life?! He was exactly how I would have imagined Oak to be!  Martin Sheen gave a really heart-wrenching performance as the cursed Boldwood. Although I did doubt Sargent Troy at first when he turned evil he was incredible.

The setting was beautiful. The soundtrack perfect! The casting spot up. 

There was nothing about the movie I did not like – other than it was too short!

The Theatre Review ~ Gypsy

Rating: 5/5

When my Mum said she wanted to go and see a West End show during her visit the last thing I wanted to see was Gypsy. I had done a production of it before, the music was a bit dated and the story a bit flawed. However, Mum was persistent and with the appeal of Imelda Staunton as the lead I agreed.

 Was I glad I did!

I have been to a lot of musicals in my time – even sat onstage to see a production of ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’- but this was by far the best production I have ever seen. Imelda Staunton is the reason why.  From the moment she walks onstage you are completely mesmerized. She blows you away with her power. Her voice is incredible, her characterisation untouchable. She made the show what it is.

TidyBoy hates musicals but I am planning to take him to this one. Yes there is scenes of partial nudity (which I have to add were hilarious) but this is a production every musical theatre lover has to see. It takes you back to when musicals were an art form without flashy ridiculous sets, pop music and common cultural appeal. It has a good plot, brilliant songs and great characters. 

It is beautifully staged, costumed and fantastically cast. There really is nothing amiss.

Book Review ~ The Orenda

Rating: 5/5

When I find a great Canadian author I literally leap for joy consume the novel and order every other book they have written. I did this with The Orenda! My poor Mum carted back a pile of his books from Canada as you could not buy them in the UK.

The story is told from three perspectives. A tribal leader, a young girl kidnapped by him and brought to live with his tribe and a Jesuit priest newly arrived from France. It follows them over a number of years as more rivalry between the aboriginal tribes grows and more and more priests come to convert the ‘savages’.

Boyden has this amazing talent of filling his book with factual knowledge without taking away from the fictional story. It was a history text book made interesting! I could not put this book down. I consumed page after page. There was no slow bits, no boring bits – it was just “GIVE ME MORE”.  It made me cry more than any book has ever done. My students are getting sick of me using examples from it! But, this book is just incredible. 

It is fat, yes. But you won’t regret investing time in reading it!

Aber - Do - Do - Do!

Easter was a time for escapism and escape we did! Tidyboy and myself drove up to the West coast of Wales to the seaside town of Aberystwyth where his parents have an apartment overlooking the harbour. We arrived on the Thursday night and decided to have a weekend without screens... well limited screen time. Choosing not to fill up the wifi dongle that we use at the Aber flat meant that it was 3G only which made us think twice about using the Internet. We also made the rule of no screens in the bedroom... and for my own sake no alarms! It was heaven!

Friday was drizzly and overcast, but it could not have been better. We stocked the fridge and settled in for a day of reading, scaletrix, board games, welsh lessons and showers! There is nothing like having a full size shower especially when the one you have at home requires you to kneel down! It was the perfect start. There was no escaping relaxation... quite literally. If you wanted to escape you had to brave the wind and rain! 

By the time Saturday rolled in with its blue sky and sunshine we were switched off to the world and ready for nature... quite literally. We hiked! Me... hiking... Oxymoron right! I loved every minute of it! Emyr got a red nose and I got a taste for the vast openness of the Welsh countryside. 

With limited screen-time there was a window to post pictures from the walk and document the mileage on strava before we continued the holiday with more reading... feet up and healing blisters and a game of Welsh Monopoly... which I won despite the Tidyboy cheating!

Easter Sunday was a treat and I don't just mean from the chocolate. The sun was out and the beaches were full. We drove the car out to Nant y Arian in the Valleys and did a mountain hike... my only annoyance was I didn't bring a t-shirt... to Wales... in April... ridiculous! The views were amazing. 

Then we drove back to the seaside for perhaps the most bizarre event of the holiday... we returned to go swimming! Yes me... in a swimsuit... in the Welsh sea... in April! Needless to say it was cold and followed closely by a hot hot hot hot shower!

The glad rags were donned for Sunday evening when my love treated me to a gorgeous meal at a very posh restaurant on the sea front. It has to be the best meal I have ever eaten in my life! Thank you Darling xx

As if it was mourning our departure Monday was dreary with a thick sea mist coating Aber. We drove nonetheless to Borth where my favourite TV drama ended last year (Hinterland) for me to see the marshes! It was kind of perfect having the sea mist as it really reflected the feel of the show which is a welsh Wallander for those who have not seen it!! 

As we drove up into the Breacon Beacons the mist broke and we were greeted by the sun once more which led us home to M&D in Cardiff... and a gorgeous homemade lasagna to end our amazing weekend. 

This weekend has had an amazing effect on us. We have not switched the TV on since we came home. We spend dinners talking to each other instead of sat blankly watching a screen. We also read. Man do we read! I haven't been able to really read a book since I finished my course and this weekend has really brought me back to the written word. I couldn't be happier! 

The moral off this story... SWITCH IT OFF. 

No matter where you are holiday or home take time away from the screens! 

... in fact I have been at this screen too long! So goodnight! xx